Conversations: 10/27/2017

CONNECT WITH THE MARKETING EXPERTS

Today’s blog must open with a confession from me. I have not followed all the marketing advice that I’ll be sharing in these paragraphs. I am one of those authors who avoids thinking about marketing—not because it is time consuming or challenging—but because it is so foreign to my nature. I’m an author, a writer who has WAY too many storylines racing through my head, and corralling just one at a time takes extreme effort and concentration. So…I make very little effort to “grab the bull by the horns” (very appropriate cliché here) and market my published books. Of course, I am constantly suggesting to my clients that they take every advantage of any and all marketing assistance available to them, and I’m making a commitment to myself that from this day forward I will do the same!

Whether published through a traditional house or self-published the responsibility to introduce book(s) to the world belongs to the author. However, when the big publishers cut their marketing budgets—and staff—those experts partnered with self-publishing companies or started their own PR/marketing firms.

Finding the best assistance is now another hoop authors must jump through and with just a little Internet searching I discovered that the Marketing Firms offered excellent help—with fees that were definitely not in my budget. Once again, I’m so thankful that I made the decision to self-publish with a company that offers a delightful variety of marketing assistance. The following points are just a few of the benefits you’ll enjoy when working with your own Personal Marketing Expert:

Relationship. Being introduced to a specialist in the field of marketing is the beginning of a friendship that enlightens and expands every author’s horizons. Authors don’t expect such an immediate and positive connection. However, it is one that will open new and continuing sales potential for our books, and build lasting relationships with Readers who will become “fans.”

Platform. The skill-set of the Personal Marketing Assistant (PMA) allows them to listen to our stories (the book concepts) and immediately begin devising a marketing “platform” for our “product” to stand on. This may include the traditional bookstore book-signings, extending to coffee-house-book-readings. But today’s PMA will also help authors construct and utilize a website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, Google and other Internet “media” sites to increase visibility and build author reputation. Their expertise in wordsmithing will connect with Readers on multiple levels!

Branding: The basic definition of “branding” is the creation of a name, term, symbol or design that gives a product a unique identity in the marketplace. As the PMA works with us they begin to visualize an element of our book(s) that will give it a distinctive presence in the book catalogs and platform arenas. Their perspective of our work may be different than ours; however, their suggestions are valuable tools to help us decide on a Brand that will follow us (as authors) and our books for a very long time.

Bottom line, every author needs a plan for the journey we’re taking into the mega-marketing-world. I used to think of it as entering Jurassic Park. Not anymore. I’m ready to learn everything I can from the expert Personal Marketing Assistant who will become my guide and partner in this adventure. I’m prepared to listen to their insights about the audience my book is meant to reach and “could” reach. And I’ll be building a file of everything I’m learning so that I can follow this path again with my new book(s)! I’m hoping you’ll join me in this marketing journey, and discover the excitement your Personal Marketing Assistant can bring into your writing life. ⚓︎

ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene has been writing something since before kindergarten days and continues to love the process. Through her small business—DOYLE WRITING SERVICES—she brings more than 40 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their projects. This is a nice fit as she develops these blogs for Outskirts Press (OP) a leading self-publisher, and occasionally accepts a ghostwriting project from one of their clients. Her recent book release (with OP) titled FIREPROOF PROVERBS, A Writer’s Study of Words, is already receiving excellent reviews including several professional writer’s endorsements given on the book’s back cover.

Royalene’s writing experience grew through a wide variety of positions from Office Manager and Administrative Assistant to Teacher of Literature and Advanced Writing courses and editor/writer for an International Christian ministry. Her willingness to listen to struggling authors, learn their goals and expectations and discern their writing voice has brought many manuscripts into the published books arena.